


Shared Sounds

by INeverHadMyInternetPhase



Series: Soulmate Sounds [1]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 16:51:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7276135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/INeverHadMyInternetPhase/pseuds/INeverHadMyInternetPhase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmate AU. Dan Howell is excited for his eighteenth birthday, excited to hear the sounds of his soulmate, though his journey is not destined to be an easy one. He hears the sounds as soon as he turns eighteen, but they don’t become clear until you hear your soulmate’s voice. And, well, Dan wasn’t exactly expecting his sounds to become clear when he heard an interview given by a member of his favourite band: Phil Lester.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shared Sounds

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea for a soulmate AU where you can hear the sounds that your soulmate hears after your eighteenth birthday, but the sounds are fuzzy and only become clear when you hear your soulmate’s voice. Then I just ran with it. All credit to anyone who might have come up with this before, it’s cliche but I wanted some fluff to get me through some uni stress ^_^ enjoy!

Finding your soulmate is the key moment in anyone’s life: this was common knowledge. So it hardly came as a surprise that Dan Howell’s eighteenth birthday was his most eagerly anticipated date in the year. He just couldn’t help but feel a mix of anticipation and happiness the more time span on, throwing him through the universe up to the one moment where he’d meet the person who would change his life forever. Hopefully.

His parents, as expected, had given him the usual warning pep talk. Not everyone met their soulmate straight away – for one thing, both partners had to be eighteen before the sounds would begin, and there was no guaranteeing that they would be the same age. Dan’s soulmate might be a few years younger than him, meaning that Dan would have to live with the silence until they turned eighteen, too. And even if they already were eighteen, and Dan heard the sounds as soon as the clock ticked to 6:30 in the morning, it would just be background noise until he actually heard his soulmate’s voice in person. And there was no telling how long that could take.

Despite all this, Dan refused to diminish his excitement. He’d seen others first hear the sounds signalling their soulmate was in the world, seen the way their faces lit up with excitement and happiness that only grew when they actually met their soulmate in person. Sure, it could take a while, but once you heard the sounds then you knew it _would_ happen. That there was someone out there in the world tailored perfectly to be your partner, matching you in the best way possible. Dan craved that. He just wanted someone to treasure.

On the day before his eighteenth birthday, Dan went to bed extra early so he could be up in time to greet the exact time of his birth. His brain refused to shut down to allow him to sleep, instead his thoughts tumbling over and over in circles as he struggled to settle. Every time he closed his eyes, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was the last time he would fall asleep to the silence. Maybe, from tomorrow, the blackest, quietest solace of his innermost thoughts would be accompanied by the sounds his soulmate could hear. Shared sounds, they were called. The ability to hear exactly what your soulmate was hearing. But only from the instant that the both of you were eighteen.

Dan just barely managed to settle into sleep, after hours of tossing and turning, and his sleep was fitful at best. He eventually woke to his alarm at 6 in the morning, finding his sheets had twisted themselves into their usual cocoon around his long, sweaty body. His feet were half-hanging off his tiny bed, and his hair was a mess, but this was it. His eighteenth.

He was almost exactly eighteen.

Dan leaped out of bed with more enthusiasm than he’d ever greeted a morning with before. Tiredness was still itching at the back of his eyes, but he ignored it in favour of vaulting down the stairs and into the kitchen, grabbing some cereal. The half-hour wait to see if the sounds would come warranted some food. He was too restless to settle, though, instead taking to pacing around the kitchen with his bowl in hand, his fingers periodically clenching and unclenching around the spoon in his grip.

At 6:20, his parents shuffled down the stairs, his father yawning, his mother smiling. They made him sit at the table between them, holding both his hands still when he got too jittery. Dan would never admit it out loud, but their presence at this time was comforting. Glancing at their faces, he felt at home.

He just had to meet his soulmate for everything to be perfect.

Dan gnawed at his lower lip, his stomach clenching. His eyes were fixed on the clock above the oven, his hands held tight in his parents’ grip, and he was grateful for their presence. He felt grounded between them. No matter what might happen when the time struck, no matter how much his world might change, he would still be Dan Howell. Dan Howell, their son, the lazy teenager almost at the end of his school career, with no real idea what to do afterwards, slightly more terrified of the world than he was willing to admit. Not even the prospect of a soulmate would ever change that.

6:27.

6:28. Dan dug his fingers tighter into his parents’ grip.

6:29.

6:30.

Dan held his breath. His parents stared at him.

Then, the noise started as a murmur.

Dan rocketed up from his seat, pulling free of his parents’ grip. He clutched at the ends of his long hair, closing his eyes automatically and focusing on the sounds beginning to reverberate through his skull. They started small; just barely murmurs. They curled around the edges of his mind, tugging at the corners of his imagination, sifting their way into his thoughts. Distant; quiet.

He had a soulmate.

Dan drew in a sharp breath, his eyes flying open again. He was all on edge, his fingers twitching, his voice sharp and cracked when he managed to formulate words. “I can hear them.”

“Oh, honey!” His mum was up by his side, catching him in a tight hug, and Dan suppressed his usual reaction to recoil. Instead, he leaned into her, closing his eyes again and drawing in a careful breath. The sounds still rustled inside his skull. His dad gave him an awkward pat on the back, and Dan shot him a half-smile in return.

“The sounds are still quiet, though,” he told them after a few minutes.

“That’s ok,” his mum replied. “It’s ok. Just – you probably haven’t met them yet.”

Dan scratched at the back of his head, mumbling in assent. The sounds were still echoing in his head, bubbling away at the back of his skull, on the frustrating side of inaudible. They sounded like the fuzzy white noise of a TV set trying to pick up signal, or a radio that couldn’t quite tune in. He furrowed his brow.

His mum patted his shoulder, reassured him that he would adjust, that it was hard for everyone in the beginning. Dan clung onto the comfort as best he could. Because even though the sounds were annoying, and he had no idea how he was ever going to get some sleep again, at least he knew he had a soulmate out there somewhere, waiting in the world for him.

Dan’s stomach gave a funny little jump at that thought.

\---

Dan spent the day with his best friend Louise, wandering around their favourite haunts. Dan was also low-key hunting the faces of everyone they passed, pricking his ears up at the sound of every new voice in the hope that they might just force the buzzing sounds in his head into clarity. But he had no such luck. Most of the people out in the day were already attached, in their own little world, or with families swinging from their arms. Dan glared at them all. If they were allowed to be happy, then why did he have to suffer so much?

Louise was laughing at him before they’d been out ten minutes. “Honestly, I thought you’d be _better_ with the sounds.”

“Better?” Dan gasped, horrified. “On what planet is this any _better_?”

“Well, you know, knowing that you won’t be facing the endless span of your lifetime alone?” Louise pointed out with a knowing grin.

Dan wilfully ignored her. “There is literally nothing worse than this. I can’t imagine it.”

“It really isn’t that bad.”

“ _You_ wouldn’t know,” Dan grouched, shoving his hands into his pockets and staring dramatically at the sky. “The sounds, they’re torture.”

“And I didn’t think you could be more of a drama queen.”

“Well, clearly you’re wrong about lots of stuff.”

“Or maybe you should just calm down.” Louise sent him a pointed glance. “This is a good thing.”

“Is it?”

“Just think,” she enthused, and her eyes were lighting up in that way that Dan had come to associate with danger. “Somewhere out there is a perfectly-made match for Dan Howell.”

“Don’t get soppy.”

“Just think, he might be tall…”

“Who says it’s a he?!”

“…Or handsome, or he might have actual fashion taste and be able to fix you right up…”

“Oi.”

“…And of course, he must have the patience of a saint, to put up with you.” Louise dodged Dan’s smirk with a snort of laughter.

Dan glared at her. “You’re impossible.”

“Alright, alright, maybe it’ll be a she…”

“Shut up, Louise.” But despite himself, Dan was laughing, and for the first time in hours the sounds in his head faded a little. That wasn’t to say he was upset by their presence – on the contrary, despite his grumbling, he _was_ a bit thrilled at the prospect of having a soulmate somewhere for him out there – but the sounds did get a bit distracting after a while. It had only been a few hours, but Dan already found himself frustrated at the constant humming.

They ended up back in Louise’s house, with Dan flopped on her sofa glaring dramatically at the ceiling while she huffed about sitting on the floor and fished out her laptop to play some music while she ‘did research’ on the best ways to find your soulmate.

Dan sent her a dangerous glare.

“Humour me, Howell,” Louise threatened. “I’ve never got to do this before.”

“It’s _my_ soulmate!”

“Yes, and as your designated best friend, I am required to help you in your quest.”

“Louise, you know literally nothing about this,” Dan pointed out.

“Just because I found my soulmate early…”

“You were at school with him,” Dan grouched, “And you both heard the sounds when you were on a trip together.”

“Be that as it may,” Louise hummed, “I, as the already soulmated one of us…”

“That isn’t even a word.”

“…Am clearly the one who knows what they’re doing.” Louise gave a determined nod and grabbed her laptop. “Just lie back and listen to the music and let me take care of everything.”

Dan glowered at the ceiling, and told himself he’d have put up more of a fight if she didn’t happen to be playing the newest album from his favourite band that he hadn’t had a chance to listen to yet. The Sunshine Squad had been around a few years, and they were just starting to get recognised, but Dan had been a fan since their earliest internet days. They played a mix of alternative rock tied in with classical, with their lead singer being classically trained, but if he was completely honest, Dan was more interested in their lead guitarist. Phil Lester had handsome black hair in a style Dan definitely hadn’t copied, and he had the biggest smile of the four, and he was the one that came up with the band name.

Dan couldn’t really be blamed for liking him. He really couldn’t.

So Dan settled himself into Louise’s furniture, surrendering to his fate of listening to her chatter on and on about the most unlikely soulmate-meeting stories out there on the internet (and there were a _lot_ – he knew from personal experience), with the familiar sounds of Phil Lester’s guitar playing lulling his overactive mind.

It was when the album ended that Dan noticed something was wrong.

“Wait.” Dan sat straight up suddenly, staring at Louise’s laptop with a frown on his face. “Play that again?”

Louise frowned at him. “Excuse me?”

“The Sunshine Squad,” Dan flipped an impatient hand at the laptop, his other hand pressing lightly to his forehead. “Play them again.”

“Dan, we’ve talked about your obsession…”

“This is serious!” Dan implored. “I think my sounds got clearer when they were playing!”

Louise gaped at him.

Dan shook his head, focusing back in on the new noises in his skull. They still sounded like white noise – nothing clear, just constant buzzing and humming in the most frustratingly unrecognisable way. But when the band were playing, Dan could have sworn the noises grew stronger, focusing into something closer to clarity.

After more cajoling, Louise eventually played the album again, and as soon as the guitar started playing the intro the sounds in Dan’s head sharpened right up. His eyes widened, and he gripped at the edges of his forehead, listening as closely as he could. “It is! My sounds are clearer!”

Louise stared at him.

Dan stared back, one knee jigging up-and-down. The noises were curling in his skull, as incomprehensible as ever, but accompanied with the music they settled into a rhythm – a rhythm he could almost recognise. A rhythm almost like a conversation.

“But, Dan,” Louise frowned, tapping a pen lid to the corner of her mouth, “That doesn’t make sense. The only person you’ve heard talking is me, and we both know I’m not your soulmate.”

“Oh, God, no.” Dan shuddered at the thought, then sent her an apologetic grin. “Not that you aren’t fabulous. Just – no.”

“Agreed.” Louise matched his grin. “So what’s this about?”

“I have no idea.” Dan flopped back onto the sofa, closing his eyes. “Just don’t turn the music off, this is the first bit of peace I’ve had in hours.”

“…Is this just a ruse to make me play them for hours on end?”

“As if I would do that,” Dan answered blandly.

“I’m looking this up,” Louise declared, going back to the internet. “Maybe there’s some weird science where your favourite music can calm down your sounds.”

“Doesn’t sound likely.”

“It’s better than anything you’ve come up with.”

“Hush.” Dan still had his eyes closed, his body relaxing. “Sleeping, here.”

“You aren’t even in your own home.”

“Kick me out later.” Dan could feel tiredness weighing heavily in his skull – he wasn’t lying when he said this was the first bit of peace he’d found since the sounds had first come to him that morning. They weren’t clear enough for him to make out anything like words, but they settled into a low, calming hum rather than the frantic buzzing that had been following him all day.

Needless to say, Dan was grateful for the chance to rest.

\---

After that, Dan went to sleep with the Sunshine Squad playing on repeat in his ears every night.

Louise never did find a perfect explanation for the phenomenon, though she had several working theories. (One was that Dan was just too much of a fanboy, and so he broke the laws of biology by his constant need to listen to emo rock boys. Dan fervently denied this). But either way, the only solace Dan ever found was when he was listening to his favourite band, and the mess of noise in his head settled into a hum so close to clarity that it teased at the corners of his mind. Dan even allowed himself to fantasise that, just maybe, one of the band members happened to be his soulmate, even though he knew it was impossible. The only one who’s voice he heard – the lead singer – already had a soulmate, and the rest of the band members were private people who’d never come out and said whether they’d heard the sounds or not. Unfortunately, Phil Lester was the most private of them all (and Dan would know – he’d been stalking Phil’s social media for years). He was probably all soulmated-off already, and just hadn’t spoken about it. There was no point in Dan even dreaming.

Dan’s parents were supportive, as much as they could be, but they did tend to bug him with questions about whether he was talking to enough people, and was he really trying his best to find his soulmate? Dan fobbed them off with roundabout answers, reassuring them that Louise was helping him. His mother was most keen – his dad was more content to just let things happen when they would.

Dan was inclined to agree with him.

Despite it all, though, Dan felt a continuous itch in his stomach. He just wanted to _meet_ this person. He’d thought that things would be easier when he knew for sure that he had a soulmate, as attested to by the constant rumblings of sounds in his head. But, in reality, knowing he had a soulmate somewhere out there just made him more impatient to finally meet them. Dan found himself listening in to conversations on the street, trying as best he could to collect as many voices as possible. He even went so far as to initiate a couple of conversations – not an easy thing for him, when his idea of social interaction was reblogging something on tumblr.

But despite all this, his best efforts were in vain. The sounds in his head remained incoherent buzzing.

Louise dealt with most of his frustration, and although she told him off for complaining so much, she had also taken it upon herself to hunt down Dan’s soulmate. She spent hours and hours on all the forums for people who heard the sounds but not the voices, hunting through endless stories and passing them all on to Dan as soon as she could.

**Louise:** _did you know that your sounds get clear when only one of you hears the other’s voice?_

**Louise:** _like if one of you hears the other, but the other can’t hear you, then it still counts as a first meeting and the sounds will become clear_

**Dan:** _I did not know that. Go to sleep. It’s 3:26am_

**Louise:** _your soulmate is more important than sleep!_

**Dan:** _I’m not sure your boss will agree in the morning_

**Louise:** _Some things are more important than work_

**Louise:** _Apparently if you drink lots of water before bed you’re more likely to dream about your soulmate_

**Louise:** _And if you close your eyes and focus really hard on the sounds, then some people can pinpoint the direction of their location in their sleep_

**Louise:** _The sounds eventually become what your soulmate is hearing, too, so you should try and make sure you have as much background noise in your life as possible to annoy your soulmate_

**Louise:** _If you annoy them enough then they’ll have to find to you_

**Dan:** _Louise. Stop._

**Louise:** _Ooh, ooh, drink beetroot juice!_

**Louise:** _It’s supposed to up your compatibility_

**Louise:** _Or is that beetlejuice?_

**Dan:** _It’s literally none of those things_

**Louise:** _Sleep with your head under your pillow and your legs facing East_

**Louise:** _It gets you more in touch with your inner listener_

**Dan:** _I’m literally turning my phone off_

Dan kept his word, switching his phone fully off for the first time in ages and shoving it deep under his pillow. He rolled onto his side with a gusty sigh. Really, he should be asleep by this time, but his sleep pattern had gone completely out of whack when the last of his exams were over. All he was doing now was waiting for results day and figuring out what he’d be doing with the rest of his life, and apparently, sleep wasn’t important for that.

Plus, the sounds were keeping him up, and he couldn’t play music like he usually did without Louise blowing up his phone.

Dan groaned again, pressing his face into his pillow. He loved Louise – he _did_ – but she was a bit … enthusiastic … about all of this. It had been close to two months since he turned eighteen, and he was still no closer to finding his soulmate. The frustration was beginning to eat away at him.

The only thing that settled the sounds was still the Sunshine Squad. Dan had tried other bands, or his favourite piano pieces, but nothing else had the same effect. The sounds remained a useless, confused mess unless he was listening to the Sunshine Squad, when they sharpened up into something more bearable. A couple of times, when Dan was really concentrating, he could _almost_ make out words.

Almost.

Those moments were simultaneously the worst and the best – tantalisingly close to his soulmate, but also further away than ever.

Dan growled, closing his eyes. He’d just have to try and sleep with the noise still buzzing away in his skull, without relying on the music to settle the sounds down. That was easier said than done. The sounds bounced against the edges of his skull, curling around his thoughts and battling with his brain. Dan squeezed his eyes shut, hissing in his head. Why would they not just _shut up_?!

Even as he thought it, the sounds gave an especially loud hum, right by his right eardrum. He huffed, clutching at his hair. _Seriously, soulmate, I’m sure I’ll love you at some point but right now I really hate you a bit._

Much to Dan’s surprise, the sounds coalesced by his right ear in something close to a low chuckle.

Dan sat straight up, his eyes widening in the darkness of his room. The faint light from his laptop still humming away in the corner blinked at him, but otherwise his room was filled with shadows. Dan wrapped his blankets closer around him. _Did you just laugh at me?!_

The sounds continued their endless hum, teasing at the very edge of his hearing. Another low rumble echoed through his head – this time, closer to words. Dan furrowed his brow, concentrating as hard as he could, but try as he might he couldn’t make out what he was hearing.

Besides, that wasn’t how the sounds worked. You didn’t hear your actual soulmate – you only heard the things they were hearing. At best, Dan would hear what the people around his soulmate were saying. At worst, his soulmate could be sitting in silence forever, and then Dan would never find them.

But, no. The sounds were there. Dan _did_ have a soulmate, and they _were_ waiting for him somewhere. All Dan had to do was wait until they found each other.

If only that wasn’t so difficult. If only Dan hadn’t always had issues with being patient.

This was literally the worst.

\---

“Things literally can’t get any worse.”

“I’m sure you’re being overdramatic.”

“Really, Louise? Last week mum suggested taking me to a support group. A _support group._ ”

“Well, I mean, I can’t blame her if you’re moping like this all the time.”

“ _Louise.”_

“Alright, alright!” Louise held a hand up, smirking slyly at Dan. “Did you try the beetlejuice?”

Dan groaned, loudly. He flopped back on Louise’s sofa, glaring up at the ceiling with his fingers digging in his hair, every inch the ever-suffering hero (he hoped). “Literally the only reason I’m still here is because of your TV.”

“Oh, I feel so loved.”

“You should.” Dan rolled over, dropping his hands for long enough to send her a snarky smirk, which she fully returned. The sounds were still echoing in his head – if anything, he could have sworn they’d got _louder_ – with no sign of clearing up into something coherent any time soon. Dan was fairly sure he’d go insane if this went on for much longer. He had no idea how some people lived with this for _years_ before they met their soulmate.

Oh, hell, that wouldn’t happen to _him,_ would it?

He forced his eyes to remain open, shuffling on the sofa so that Louise could join him as he focused in on her TV. There was a music festival on at the moment, and the Sunshine Squad were one of the headliners, so naturally Dan had turned up at Louise’s doorstep with a bright smile and a bouquet of flowers. She’d rolled her eyes at him, but the flowers were sitting prettily in a vase on her table and Dan was on her sofa, the TV completely at his command.

Louise laid a gentle hand on his arm, making Dan jump. When he turned to face her, she was wearing an oddly serious expression – the kind of expression that made him want to find a window to jump out of, should it be needed.

“Dan,” she started, and yep, he definitely needed to scope out a window if she was using that tone. “You _do_ know this won’t last forever, right?”

Dan narrowed his eyes at her.

“Be serious for a minute,” she continued quickly, “Because I can’t imagine how frustrating this is…”

“No, you probably can’t.”

“…But just think, it really won’t last forever. Your soulmate is just waiting for you, I know it.”

Dan huffed, sinking back into the cushions. “Well, they’re bloody well taking their time.”

“The best things in life always do.”

“That’s a crap cliché.”

“Give it time, Dan,” Louise advised, nudging up against his arm.

Dan blew out a long sigh, but he leaned into her gratefully. Much as he didn’t want to admit it, this entire situation was taking quite a toll on him. Without Louise by his side, he was fairly sure he’d have already gone insane by now.

A few moments passed where they both focused on the TV, watching a lesser-known indie band playing the festival stage. The crowd seemed to be enjoying them, although Dan didn’t think they came across that well on TV. And their keyboard player was using far too much pedal. They didn’t have anything on the Sunshine Squad.

“How long do we have your TV for?” He asked suddenly when the band were finishing up their set.

Louise smiled at him, hearing the unspoken undercurrent of _thank you for letting me steal your TV for hours._ “Jamie’s out with the girls at the park, I imagine they’ll be a few hours yet.”

“So we can watch to the end of the festival?”

“Probably. They wouldn’t kick you out anyway.”

“But I don’t want to intrude on your family time,” Dan mumbled, to which Louise gave a silvery laugh and laid a hand on his arm.

“Dan, you’ve been family to me for years now. You don’t have to go anywhere.”

Dan sent her a brilliant grin, the sudden rush of emotion momentarily quietening the endless sounds in his skull.

The festival on the TV focused on the screaming crowds for a while, and Dan let out a low sigh. He’d never been to a festival, though he’d dreamed of it for years. There had always been exams, or work to do, or he’d been too young to go by himself (and none of the people he’d hung out with at school wanted to go to something they deemed ‘uncool’). Maybe now that he’d finished school, Dan could look into tickets for next year. He might even be able to persuade Louise to go with him.

The TV cameras panned away from the main stage – probably letting the next group set up – and instead cut to the studio, where a presenter was waiting to interview some of the headliners. She was sitting on the edge of her seat, camera in hand, smiling at the camera, and Dan smiled back. He would be excited, too, if he had her job.

Hey, he could dream, couldn’t he?

“And next up, guys, we’re going to be interviewing one of the main headliners for this festival!” Even the interviewer’s voice was trembling with excitement. “And I can tell you, I’m excited about this one, so you should be too – please give a huge welcome to … the Sunshine Squad!”

Dan instantly sat up straighter, watching keenly. The noise of the squealing fans almost drowned out the sounds in his head, and he could watch with some degree of normality as the four members of his absolute favourite band appeared on stage, giving quick waves and smiles to the people surrounding them. Phil Lester almost tripped on his way to the sofa, saving himself with a quick chuckle and a sheepish smile, and Dan melted into the sofa cushions.

“Howell,” Louise shook her head at him, her lips pressed tightly together, “You are hopeless.”

Dan shoved her in the side, too focused on the interview to pay more attention.

The crowds eventually settled down, and the presenter turned to the group with a wide grin. “Welcome, guys! How’re you finding the festival?”

“Oh, it’s amazing,” the lead singer responded, and Dan suppressed a small jolt of disappointment that it wasn’t Phil Lester who answered. “I mean, the festival is always amazing, but this year is electric.”

“I agree, I agree,” the presenter nodded. “We’re all hyped for your set later.”

The band all laughed, but Dan didn’t quite catch their response due to a sudden rush of the sounds in his head. He grimaced, pressing a hand to his temple. _Really, soulmate, now? You pick now to have a huge wave of background noise?_

As if to spite his thoughts, the sounds increased in volume, pounding away at his skull in a steady thrum. He groaned and shoved them away, focusing back in on the interview.

“…Really keen to play here again,” the lead singer was saying.

“As you should be, Matt!” The presenter cast an arm wide. “Everyone here loves you. Can we get a sneak peek of your set?”

“Let’s just say there’s a lot of guitar.”

“Oh, really? Which one of you is the guitarist?”

Dan scoffed at the presenter’s ignorance, but sat up again when Phil Lester lifted a hand with a small smile.

“Ah!” The presenter instantly jumped on the chance to ask him a question, but once again, Dan missed her words. The sounds in his head jumped to the forefront, pressing heavily against his temples. He grunted, digging a hand into his hair.

Louise shot him a sidelong glance, her eyes narrowing. “Dan? Everything ok?”

He grimaced in reply, and just then, the TV showed Phil Lester pressing a palm to his forehead.

The presenter looked concerned. “Everything ok?”

“It’ll be his sounds,” the lead singer explained, and Dan forced his thoughts to work through the ever-growing noises in his skull.

“Oh!” The presenter brightened right up again, at the same time as the crowd gave a gentle coo. “A soulmate story, how beautiful! Have you met them yet?”

Phil Lester shook his head, smiling apologetically as he lowered his hand.

The crowd cooed again, giving a loud _awwww_ that seemed to aggravate the sounds in Dan’s skull. He huffed, digging his nails into his forehead.

Louise placed a hand on his arm. “Relax, it’ll help.”

“Really,” Dan muttered. His temples were starting to throb.

Just at that moment, Phil Lester grimaced again, running a hand through his hair. He gestured for the microphone, smiling apologetically at the crowd, and Dan’s stomach did a funny little flip. Damn that stupid guitarist with his stupidly bright smile and gorgeous wide eyes. Why the hell did he have to be so unattainable? Why was life so unfair as to stick Dan with a soulmate that he couldn’t even seem to find?

The presenter handed Phil Lester the microphone, and he spoke into it with a slightly sheepish tone. “Sorry. The sounds seem to be really bad just now.”

And then it happened.

As surely as the dawn curling over the top of the horizon, the sounds in Dan’s head intensified to a sudden screeching, getting louder and louder. They throbbed against his temples, surrounding his thoughts, swirling through his every motion. Dan squeezed his eyes shut with a gasp, grabbing automatically at his hair.

At the exact same moment, Phil Lester dropped the microphone on screen.

“Dan?!” Louise grabbed his arm. Dan latched onto the touch, letting it ground him amid the sudden onslaught of indistinguishable noise. He drew in a shaky breath, squeezing his eyes shut, wanting the noises to _stop stop stop_ because they were going on for so long and was there no end to this hell?

And then, as suddenly as they started, the sounds stopped.

Dan’s skull was blissfully quiet.

The silence only lasted half a second, though, before with sudden, exquisite clarity, he distinctly heard inside his head _Phil? You okay mate?_

_Phil?_

What?

Dan straightened, uncurling his body from the ball he’d automatically made when the sounds hit him. He met Louise’s scared face. “Dan? What happened?”

There was some sort of commotion happening on screen, but Dan didn’t have the energy to look. Instead, he stared in awe at Louise, lost in the sudden, beautiful clarity of his mind. The sounds were still there, but they were _clear._ He could make out actual words. Actual, beautiful, _normal_ sentences.

_Take a second, mate, we can go if you need to._

Dan blinked, the words in his head mixing up with his thoughts. He stared in awe at Louise. “I think … I think I just heard my soulmate.”

“What?” Louise’s jaw dropped.

The commotion on screen continued, sounds from the crowd echoing through the speakers, although Dan could swear he heard them inside his skull, too. Faded, distant, and echoing, but definitely there. He blinked, turning to stare at the TV.

“Dan?” Louise’s voice interrupted his thoughts again. “What do you mean, you heard your soulmate? There’s no one here!”

Dan swallowed, coming back to earth, because yes, she was right. There was no one here for him to have heard, so he couldn’t have just listened to his soulmate’s voice for the first time. Even though the sounds in his head had shifted into focus. It was impossible. The only thing he’d been listening to was…

…Was…

Oh.

Dan jumped to his feet, staring at the TV again. The Sunshine Squad were still on camera, but three of the members were standing up, gathered around the fourth, who was still sitting down. Dan stared, his mouth going dry.

The one sitting down was Phil Lester.

The presenter turned to the camera, microphone back at her lips. “Sorry, folks, but I think we’re witnessing a soulmate moment right here!”

_Sorry, folks, but I think we’re witnessing a soulmate moment right here!_

The words echoed with sharp clarity inside Dan’s skull, and even as he stared, his draw dropping, he distinctly heard the lead singer of the Sunshine Squad’s voice inside his head, murmuring, _Phil? Is that true?_

Holy hell, no. There was no way.

Fingers closed around Dan’s wrist and he jumped, turning to meet Louise’s gaze. She was staring between him and the TV set, her eyes widened as she started to piece together exactly what was going on. “No. No way, Dan, this is impossible. _Phil Lester_?!”

“Dan!”

Dan jumped, turning to the TV set again, where there was an image of Phil Lester leaping to his feet excitedly. “His name’s Dan! I can hear my soulmate’s sounds, he’s called Dan!”

A sudden cheer soared up from the crowd, and Dan stuttered back a step, pressing a hand to his forehead where the sounds echoed overwhelmingly loudly _inside his head_. He drew in a shaky breath, his thoughts failing. Because. _What?!_

“Dan!” Louise was staring at the TV set too, her eyes wide. “Dan, is this – are you serious?! Phil Lester can hear me right now?!”

“Yes!” Phil Lester replied from the TV set, and Dan’s legs gave out, sending him tumbling onto the sofa. Phil Lester stared happily into the camera, his smile stretching so wide that it sent funny ripples down Dan’s spine. “Whoever you are – person who keeps saying Dan’s name – I can hear you.”

Louise squealed.

Phil Lester winced, placing a hand to his head.

Dan just stared, stupefied, between the TV set and Louise’s shocked face. He could still hear murmured conversations in his skull – presumably the band members talking to Phil Lester – because yes, Dan could hear Phil’s surroundings right now. He could hear the presenter’s excited chattering, the rumble of the crowd, the footsteps of the cameramen.

But that was all impossible. Because that would mean that Phil Lester…

_Phil Lester…_

“What,” Dan finally managed to rasp out, “What the hell is happening?”

Louise squealed again, jumping into place beside Dan. “I can’t believe it! I actually think you just found your soulmate!”

Dan didn’t take his eyes off the TV screen, glued to the image of Phil Lester standing in the middle of the commotion. He swallowed, mouth dry. “How – _how_ –“

“I don’t know, either,” Louise hummed, a hand on Dan’s arm, “But Phil Lester definitely just replied to me, so…”

“Yes!” Phil Lester spoke to the camera again, his eyes wide. “I can hear you, female person – I can hear you talking to my soulmate. Oh, my goodness, are you – are you watching the interview?”

“Yes, we’re watching the interview!” Louise yelped right into Dan’s ear, and he flinched away, rubbing at his forehead at the exact same time as Phil winced on camera.

“Loud, Lou,” Dan muttered, but he still couldn’t take his eyes off the screen.

Phil grinned at the camera, then back to the presenter, who was cooing over the moment with the crowd’s accompanying _aww_ s.

“Well, folks,” the presenter spoke to the camera, “It looks like we’ll have to cut this interview short – but never fear, we have other bands lined up!”

“No, no, no!” Dan was up on his feet again, running up to the TV screen and staring as the Sunshine Squad were herded out of the studio. He could still hear the crowd in his head, but the sounds were dimming. He could only watch in despair as the Sunshine Squad disappeared from the shot, watching Phil Lester’s broad back get swallowed up by the crowd.

“No, where’s he gone?!” Dan got as close to the TV as he could, eyes wide.

Louise chuckled behind him. “I don’t think eating the screen is going to get you any closer to him, Dan.”

Dan groaned.

Just then, a loud burst of laughter echoed in his head, accompanied by the voice he had come to recognise as the Sunshine Squad’s lead singer. What was his name again? Matt? _Phil, she said what? Your soulmate is trying to eat a screen?_

Dan groaned louder. “Louise! Watch what you say! The Sunshine Squad can _hear you_!”

Louise pressed a hand to her mouth, but as Dan twisted to glare at her, she couldn’t suppress a burst of laughter.

The sound echoed in Dan’s head again, accompanied by words from another voice – the drummer? _Honestly, mate, trust you to get your sounds just when we’re about to play a set._

 _Hey, no one can control the sounds,_ the lead singer reprimanded with a laugh. _Though it is typical Phil. Any news on where this Dan character is?_

Dan’s mouth ran dry again. He jumped up to his feet, his mind barely processing events. He locked up his racing thoughts and shoved them away to the back of his mind, deciding he was just going to have to deal with his sudden onslaught of emotion later. For right now, there were more urgent matters to attend to.

“Dan?” Louise sent him a cautious look.

Dan span away from her, hunting for his shoes. “I need to go to London. Like. Now.”

“ _What_?!”

“I have to, Louise!” Dan hopped on one foot as he tied up his laces, pausing to snatch his phone up from the table. “Phil Lester is there! I have to – I have to find him!”

“Yes, but Dan, you can’t just jump on a _train_ …”

“Shh!” Dan threw a hand up, closing his eyes to focus on the conversation in his head.

Matt, the lead of the Sunshine Squad, was still talking. The background noise had died down completely now, with no squealing crowds anywhere to be heard. Dan closed his eyes to better focus on the conversation.

_…don’t have much experience, you know that…_

_I mean, I’m sure you could put out a tweet or something. He was watching the interview, he’s probably a fan._

Dan was halfway through pulling his phone back out of his pocket when the voice reverberated through his skull instead.

_Yeah, I know, you like to keep things private. It was just a suggestion._

“Louise.” Dan span around to face her again, his thoughts tumbling through his head. “Speak to me.”

Louise lifted a helpless hand, her eyes wide. “What do you want me to say?”

“Anything!” Dan gestured to his own skull. “He can hear you. Tell him – tell him I’m going to get on the next train to London.”

“Dan…”

“ _Please,_ Lou, I need to find him!”

Louise drew out a long-suffering sigh, her lower lip caught between her teeth. “Alright – alright, ok. Phil Lester, your soulmate is an idiot who wants to get on a train to London right now because we’re not there.”

“I’m not an idiot,” Dan hissed, and then grimaced when a low chuckle echoed in his head.

_Ok, Phil’s soulmate. Matt here, lead singer of the Sunshine Squad._

Dan’s mouth ran dry and he gave a sort of strangled squeak.

_Phil says you should be careful. He knows you must have only turned eighteen a couple of months – really? – wow, ok, a couple of months ago. Mate, why didn’t you tell any of us you started hearing your sounds?_

Dan swallowed, flicking a glance at Louise, who was staring at him impatiently. He licked his lips. “I don’t care. I’m getting on a train right now.”

“Dan…”

He shook his head, grabbing his coat and making for the door. “I’ll be fine!”

“At least let me take you to the station!”

“Your family will be back in a minute,” Dan pointed out, doing his best to ignore the nerves spiralling endlessly in his stomach. Currently, he felt as though a giant monster was trying to fight its way passed his sternum, in place of a heartbeat. He snatched up the rest of his stuff and rushed out of the door, only pausing for long enough to wave back at Louise before he was running down the street at full speed.

It was raining – only a light drizzle, but enough to thoroughly soak through his clothes and cling to his quickly cooling skin. Dan shivered. He drew his thin jacket tightly around him, his shoes slapping loudly against the newly-forming puddles on the pavement. He was still adjusting to the sudden new silence in his head. Over the past two months, the sounds had become such a fixed part of his life that suddenly being without them felt alien and new, as if – as if he was missing something.

But that was ridiculous. In fact, Dan had _gained_ something. A soulmate.

He gave his head a stubborn shake, rain dripping from his fringe as he strode quickly through the streets. The sound of the rain falling around him and the occasional hum of traffic were the only background noise, but his head was filled with odd bursts of speech, mostly from the other members of the Sunshine Squad.

Only, Dan couldn’t think too hard about that, because his _favourite band_ were literally _right inside his head_ and that concept was a bit too much for him to grapple with right now.

_Phil, if he isn’t in London do you honestly think he’ll be getting on a train?_

_What exactly did you hear?_

_I mean, I guess people do weird things for their soulmates, but still._

Dan placed a hand to his forehead. Occasionally, the shared sounds in his head shifted in focus or timbre, the voices either echoing as if the speaker was outside, or landing flat and still, almost whispered in quiet air. He could only guess that Phil Lester was moving – but where, Dan had no idea.

And it was _Phil Lester._

How was that even possible? Just the thought of it made Dan’s stomach tie itself into knots, his gut clenching and his fingers trembling. Never even in his wildest dreams had he allowed himself to imagine Phil Lester as his soulmate. It was just too impossible. Like, half-past-never-happening impossible.

And yet, the image of Phil’s bright smile on the screen during the interview, when he’d announced Dan’s name for all the world to hear – that couldn’t have been fake, could it?

Dan shook his head, firmly telling himself to get a grip. The station building was just a street away now, looming above the other buildings, its glass walls reflecting back the miserable grey drizzle of the sky. Dan stopped walking for a moment when he saw it.

Now what was he supposed to do?

His racing heart and twisting stomach were telling him to jump on a train right then and rush straight to London, hopefully into the waiting arms of his soulmate. Who may or may not happen to be his favourite member of his favourite band. But, Dan’s head was struggling to process all this new information, and one of the loudest of his own thoughts was screaming at him to stop and think. He needed a plan. There was no point in just jumping into something he knew nothing about – especially when it would land him in the centre of London with no real idea of where he was or where he was supposed to be going.

_I don’t think that’s a good idea._

The thought echoed loudly in Dan’s skull and he jumped, eyes wide, before he realised it was in the voice of the lead singer of the Sunshine Squad _._ His soulmate’s sound, then – not Dan’s.

Dan furrowed his brows. He leaned into an alcove in the corner of the street, dodging some of the passers-by as he murmured, “Can you hear me?”

Only silence echoed inside his skull, and then there was another voice – the drummer, possibly.

_I don’t know either, mate, don’t look at me._

_Well, should we put out an announcement?_ The lead singer was speaking again, his voice curling around Dan’s mind – the same voice that had sung him to sleep every night since he first got his sounds. Dan shook his head. This was the most surreal thing to ever happen to him.

_You can’t just go to a train station, Phil, we don’t even know which one…_

_That’s a stupid plan and you know it. Sit down, shut up, and let us do your thinking for you._

Dan gnawed on his lip. Indecision seized at his sides, but foremost in his body was the never-ending pull and want want _want_ to find his soulmate, to be moving towards him, to finally be at his side and in his arms. Dan drew in a shaky breath. He didn’t care how risky this could be, or how much trouble he was bound to get in – some things were more important. His parents, Louise – they’d all understand when they realised this was for his soulmate.

So, determinedly, Dan strode into the train station.

As it turned out, the next train to London was in twenty minutes, so Dan bought a ticket as quickly as he could (and winced a bit at the cost, but hey, his parents would understand – this was for his soulmate!) and made his way out onto the platform. Several people were lining the edge, glancing at the clock or leaning against the wall. Dan joined the throng, trying to make himself as small as possible.

The station announcement came on just as Dan found a spot by a post to huddle in. “The next train to arrive at Platform 3 is the 15:32 train to London Waterloo…”

Dan chewed on his cheek, shifting in his wet jacket with a grimace.

_Waterloo?_

The word echoed with unsettling clarity in his head, and Dan jumped.

_Waterloo, you said?_

Dan’s eyes widened with realisation. Of course, Phil Lester could hear whatever Dan heard! With a plan forming quickly in his mind, Dan ran to one of the people waiting on the platform, his usual awkwardness overcome by desperation. He grabbed the young woman’s arm, speaking over her startled gasp. “I’m sorry, I really am, but I’ve just heard my soulmate’s sounds for the first time –“

“Oh!” The woman’s expression instantly softened.

“—So do you think you could talk to him for me?” Dan’s words tumbled over themselves in his rush. “He needs to know where to meet me…”

“Of course,” the woman interrupted, “Of course, just tell me what to say.”

“Tell him I’m getting on this train and I’ll see him at London Waterloo.”

The woman was beaming by now, and she leaned in close, speaking directly into Dan’s ear to make sure his soulmate would hear his words. “I’m speaking to – what’s his name?”

Dan’s mouth dried up. _Phil Lester._ She’d never believe that – heck, _he_ couldn’t believe it.

But she was still looking at him inquisitively, so Dan managed to squeak, “Phil. I think – I think he’s called Phil.”

“Phil,” the woman supplied, “Your soulmate’s here. He says to meet him in London Waterloo in – about an hour? I think the train is due then. It’s coming from Wokingham.”

“Thank you,” Dan mouthed, stepping away just as the train pulled in. Dan joined the throng of people trying to get on the train – his soulmate could have picked a better time, it was getting close to rush hour so London would be an absolute nightmare – and pushed his way to a spare seat. All the while, Dan was focused on the quietness of his skull, and listening to any hint from Phil’s bandmates.

_We’re off to Waterloo then, huh?_

_Don’t be daft, of course we’re coming with you, mate._

Dan drew in a shaky breath. He was beginning to feel just a little terrified. None of this felt quite real – he’d dreamed of meeting the Sunshine Squad for so long, in fact he was saving up for VIP to one of their concerts, but never in a million _years_ did he think he’d be meeting them like this. The idea of getting off a train and having to face them all at once was more than a little overwhelming.

Dan spent the rest of the hour in a state of nervous adrenaline. His heart was pounding away in his throat, probably dangerously so, and he felt a little dizzy. Now that he was on the train, and it was moving, it was hitting him that he had no way back. He was alone, going to meet one of his idols, without any sort of backup plan. He hadn’t even bought a return ticket. What if this all went wrong? What if Phil Lester turned out to be some sort of monster, and Dan was just walking into a trap?

That seemed unlikely, though, especially based off the brightness of Phil’s smile. Dan clung to that image from the TV, unable to stop himself from hoping. _Phil Lester might actually be his soulmate._

That was a dream come true.

Dan settled himself back into a seat and focused on keeping his breathing calm for the next hour.

\---

By the time the train pulled into London Waterloo, Dan was a mess of shaking fingers and trembling toes. His heart was in his mouth as he got to his feet with the rest of the passengers, his feet feeling like they were made of lead. He forced himself to move with the crowds, although part of him wanted to turn and run as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

The platform was teeming with people. Dan stood still for a minute, completely overwhelmed and more than a little lost. He allowed everyone to stream passed him as he tried to gather his bearings, getting shunted from place to place until eventually he ducked away into a little, quiet corner, his fingers bunching into fists.

Closing his eyes, Dan focused on the sounds in his head. He’d heard intermittent snatches of conversations from his soulmate on the train, but nothing to help him figure out where on earth to find him. But he knew Phil had got the message to come to Waterloo – so where _was_ he?

Waterloo, as it turned out, was one of the busiest commuter stations in London. And Dan was there at rush hour. There were an endless number of people flooding in and out of the platform, with trains rushing in every few minutes before crankily starting on their way out again. Dan bit down hard on his lower lip, keeping his eyes shut and focusing on the sounds inside his head, drowning out the noisy commuters around him.

_…wait for you out here then?_

_Go on in, Phil!_

Dan drew in a shaky breath. If Phil was only just entering the station, then he’d still be by the exit. Decision made, Dan turned on his heel and strode towards the escalators, his feet moving almost before his brain had caught up. His stomach was jumping up and down, sending waves of nausea clouding his skull. Dan swallowed several times and blew out a slow breath.

The walk to the main entrance of the station seemed to take forever, but Dan floated through it like he was in a dream. He almost walked into three people, tripped over his own feet twice, and made four wrong turns, but eventually he made it to the entrance. The ceiling soared high above his head, the space vast and filled with people. Dan drew in a shaky breath, moving slowly towards the doors.

And then he saw him.

Actual Phil Lester, standing near one of the main doors, his hands awkwardly in his pockets and his fringe covering his right eye. He was bowed down a little, but his eyes were keenly scouring the crowd. He was _searching._

As Dan stared at him, the sounds in his head suddenly swelled to a crescendo. The noise of the crowd echoing in his own ears was reflected in his skull, thrumming against his temples to an almost painful volume. Phil was clearly hearing it too, if the hand pressed to his forehead was anything to go by.

Dan tried to take a step forward, but he was shaking too much. Instead, he simply stood still and stared at Phil Lester, who searched the crowd endlessly.

And then, his eyes landed on Dan.

The sounds in Dan’s head rang like a bell when Phil’s gaze finally connected with his. Then they lowered back down to a background hum, blending in perfectly with the sounds Dan was hearing. Phil stared at him uncomprehendingly for a moment, his gaze slowly changing to look thunderstruck.

Dan drew in a shaky breath.

And then Phil Lester took a step forward, one hand reaching out to Dan automatically, and Dan was running. He was still shaking, but every fibre of his being was screaming to _move and get to Phil._ So Dan listened to his instincts and ran, closing the gap between himself and Phil until he was jumping right into Phil’s arms.

Phil caught him, and then they were crushed together in the warmest hug Dan had ever felt in his life. Dan’s eyes were squeezed shut, his fingers gripped tight onto Phil’s dark blue jacket, a low cry escaping his lips. He could feel Phil pressed right up against him, his arms wound tight around Dan’s back. Phil’s voice was tumbling words into Dan’s ear, an awed murmur of “ _Oh you’re real, you’re actually real!”_

“I’m real,” Dan gasped back, his face buried into Phil’s shoulder.

And then Phil was laughing, and he picked Dan up and swung him around with a delighted noise. Dan squeaked, instantly wanting to gripe about how undignified this was, he was over six foot and Phil should _not_ be swirling him round like a five-year-old. But the other part of Dan was far too thrilled to complain.

Eventually, Phil steadied Dan onto his feet and got a good look at him. Dan looked right back, suddenly squirming, because _this was actual Phil Lester standing in front of him and looking at him like he’d just dropped out of the sky._

“I can’t believe it,” Phil finally said, his tone still awed.

Dan gave a half-laugh, scrubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck. “Sorry. Guess I’m a bit of a disappointment, huh?”

“What?” Phil instantly looked chagrined. “No! No, that isn’t what I meant at all, you’re – you – _look_ at you!”

Dan swallowed.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Phil breathed, grabbing hard onto both of Dan’s shoulders and staring straight at him like he was the only source of light. “When I heard the sounds a few months back – I honestly thought I’d never have a soulmate, and then _you_ …”

“I never thought it would be you,” Dan finally choked.

Phil blinked at him, giving a small smile. “Why?”

“Because you’re _Phil Lester._ ”

“Yeah? And?”

“ _And,_ ” Dan fumed, “I’ve been listening to the Sunshine Squad since I was fourteen years old. This is supposed to be _impossible._ ”

Phil gave a surprised laugh, his hand reaching up to press against his mouth. He stepped back and surveyed Dan, and then gathered him close into another hug, nuzzling into him.

“Hey!” Dan squawked into Phil’s shoulder. “I’m not a human stuffed animal – put me _down_ – I’m six foot, you shouldn’t be able to do this!”

“Shush,” Phil berated, his grip only tightening. “I’ve been waiting for _years,_ you have to let me hug you.”

Dan scoffed, but he allowed himself to relax. If only because Phil was exceptionally good at giving hugs. Dan closed his eyes and moved into Phil’s embrace, tentatively winding his arms around Phil’s back. “What do you mean, _years_?”

Phil drew back with a grumble, but then glanced around. “We need to talk. Let’s find a café – unless – are you really here by yourself?”

Mouth a little dry, Dan nodded.

“That was dumb, don’t do that.” Phil shook his head even as he grabbed Dan’s hand and started to tug him towards the exit. “Does your family know where you are?”

“Er…”

“ _Dan._ ” His name sounded far too perfect on Phil’s lips, even when said with frustration. “You’re calling them as soon as we find somewhere quiet.”

Dan’s eyes narrowed. “I _am_ an adult.”

“Yes, but only just.” Phil lifted a finger. “I know for a fact you only turned eighteen a few months ago.”

“But –“

“You’re calling them, Dan. Then we can chat.”

Dan grumbled, but inwardly, he was thrilled. He jogged a couple of steps to match Phil’s stride, and he tightened his fingers in Phil’s grip. Phil glanced at him, and the brilliance of that smile was only more intense up close. Dan felt a little faint.

They found a small cafe around the corner, where Phil asked Dan what he wanted and then sent him over to a seat to call his mother. Dan did so, if a little begrudgingly, but kept the conversation as short as he could.

“Yes, mum, I’m in London –“

“No, don’t worry! You do _not_ need to come and get me.”

“I was with Louise when I found my soulmate –“

“Yes, she told you the truth.”

“No, I can’t believe it either.”

“I’ll call you when I know more – I’m with him now, I’m safe, don’t worry.”

“Call you later. Bye, mum.”

Dan hung up just as Phil was reappearing with their drinks. Phil slid into the seat opposite with a happy hum, but he frowned when Dan tried to pay him. “Stop that.”

“I can pay,” Dan complained.

“I’m sure you can, but I refuse to let you.”

“ _Phil_ –“

“No, Dan. Besides, the server recognised me and gave me a discount, so.”

Dan blinked. “She recognised you?”

“Yeah.” Phil poked his tongue out a little, smirking at Dan. “Being part of a band has its upsides, you know? Like finding out that your soulmate is a fanboy.”

Dan instantly spluttered.

“Or so I’m assuming.” Phil suddenly stared down at his drink, looking almost bashful. “Did you – that is, were you watching the interview earlier?”

“Yeah,” Dan finally answered a little faintly, once his brain had caught up. “I was with my friend and then – the minute you spoke, the sounds just … stopped. And then I could hear what you could hear. Nearly had a heart attack.”

Phil gave another gentle laugh. “Sorry. Well, not really, seeing as you did the same to me on _national TV._ ”

“I didn’t know!” Dan squawked. “I never thought it would be _you_!”

“Are you disappointed?”

“The complete opposite,” Dan rushed to reassure. He bit his lip, avoiding Phil’s gaze. “You – err – you’re not entirely wrong. About the. Fanboy. Thing.”

Phil chuckled, and Dan slightly wanted the ground to swallow him whole. But then a warm grip was suddenly at his fingers, and Phil was leaning closer, humming, “Well, I’m glad. I honestly never thought I’d find you.”

Dan blinked. He looked up at Phil through his fringe. “Why not?”

“I’m 22,” Phil pointed out with a grimace. “Most people my age are paired off by now. I was starting to face the possibility of either dying alone, or having a soulmate an awful lot younger than me.”

“Four years isn’t all that much,” Dan answered slowly.

“Which is why I’m so glad you’ve come along now!” Phil’s tone was earnest. “When I heard the sounds a few months ago I thought I was dreaming – happy late birthday, by the way – but I honestly thought I was going crazy. I didn’t tell anyone – didn’t want to get my hopes up, in case you turned out not to be real.”

“Is that why your bandmates were so shocked in the interview?”

“Yeah.” Phil gave a slightly embarrassed laugh. “You could hear them, I guess?”

Dan nodded. “I swear, I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest. The _actual_ Sunshine Squad were in my head, have you got any idea what that did to me?”

Phil was grinning this time. “You’re a proper fan, then?”

“Yeah. I mean. You could say that.”

Phil’s grin was growing to dangerous levels, so Dan gave him a half-hearted shove and muttered, “Shut up, you looked just as thrilled when you said my name on national TV.”

“Well, maybe.” Phil hummed, his eyes glinting. “I can be forgiven, though, I’ve waited four years. You’ve barely had to wait a few months.”

Dan gave a shudder. “How did you manage? The sounds were driving me _crazy_.”

“Lots of loud music,” Phil snickered.

“Yeah. The only thing I could get to shut them up was to play – oh.”

Phil looked confused. “What?”

“Um.” Dan wriggled. “I just – I listened to you.”

Phil raised a brow.

“The Sunshine Squad,” Dan clarified. “The only thing that made the sounds bearable.”

Phil’s eyes widened, and then he was giving that bright grin again. “Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense.”

“How?”

“Well, I _am_ in the group,” Phil snickered. “Maybe guitar playing is close to hearing my voice, or something.”

Dan swallowed. His mouth ran a little dry at realising just who Phil was – the best guitar player Dan had ever heard, the one he’d idolised for the majority of his teenage life. He drew in a breath at a sudden thought. “Wait. Phil – I can hear your sounds now, right?”

“Well, I would hope so, yes.”

“Does that mean I’ll be able to _hear your rehearsals_?”

Phil gave a surprised laugh. He thought for a moment, tapping his fingers against his chin. “I mean, probably. Yeah.”

Dan squealed excitedly. “That’s _the best thing!”_

“Oh, that’s all you care about, huh? You’ve known me all of five minutes…”

“Sorry, Phil.” Dan’s eyes were glistening, and he was smirking. “I’m sure you’re great and all, but I live only for your guitar playing.”

Phil pressed a hand over his heart. “I’m so hurt.”

Dan just grinned at him.

“So?” Phil nudged him after a moment, his gaze keen. “What sounds can I be expecting to hear from you, Dan?”

Dan gnawed on his lip, suddenly nervous again. He glanced down at the table, at where his hand was still linked with Phil’s, and drew in a careful breath. “Oh. Well. Nothing as exciting as band rehearsals, I’m afraid.”

“Are you still at school?”

“Just finished,” Dan clarified. “Waiting for my A Level results.”

Phil’s face screwed up. “I hated exams.”

“Same,” Dan agreed dryly. “I’ll be lucky to pass.”

“Well, if you haven’t, I’ll kidnap you and make you a permanent groupie.”

Dan grinned at him. “Don’t make offers like that if you can’t keep them.”

Phil met his eyes with a small smile. “I’m sure it won’t be necessary. But I would. Just so you know.”

Dan smiled back, slowly. He felt warm.

“So you’re not from London, I gather?” Phil probed.

Dan shook his head, looking back down at their joined hands and giving Phil’s fingers a squeeze. “Nope. I live in Wokingham – near Reading.”

“Oh yeah, I think I know where that is.”

“I’m planning to take a gap year,” Dan added, shifting a bit on his seat. “And maybe apply to uni after that – but I don’t really know what I want to do.”

Phil hummed in agreement. “I’d have loved to get a degree – don’t know what in, mind, but I never really got the chance.”

“How come?”

“Music kind of took over, you know?”

“Oh, of course.” Dan blinked, and then smiled. “I admire that though, you know? I’d love to pursue music, or maybe acting, but I don’t have the guts.”

Phil’s eyes brightened. “You play?”

“Badly,” Dan quickly clarified.

Phil shook his head. “I bet you’re awesome. Can I hear you sometime? What instrument?”

Dan grimaced. “Piano, but honestly, I’m terrible. I just play bad covers and I’m mostly self-taught, so don’t expect any miracles.”

“That sounds amazing, Dan,” Phil enthused, and somehow in his voice Dan actually believed it. “I’m looking forward to listening next time you play.”

Dan squirmed, but he was struggling to hold back a smile.

He and Phil chatted for hours – until the day was beginning to grow dark. Dan learned all the things about Phil that he’d been wondering since he first heard his band, along with corroborating some that he already knew from his relentless stalking of Phil’s interviews. Luckily, Phil didn’t seem to be too creeped out by Dan’s fanboyish knowledge – if anything, he seemed flattered.

And in return, Dan shared more about himself than he’d ever graced with anyone before. He told Phil all about his post-school worries, how he always felt too awkward in his own skin, how he never quite fit in with anyone at school but seemed to fit in even less out of it. He wanted to follow his dreams, to find a place in music and acting, but he was too scared to take the leap.

Phil’s eyes shone, and he said he believed in Dan, and for once, Dan actually believed him.

When it was starting to get so late that Dan risked missing the last train home, Phil forced them both to their feet and practically manhandled Dan out of the café.

“You’re the worst, Phil,” Dan grumbled loudly. “Why would you make me _move,_ I was _comfortable_.”

“One of us has to be the responsible adult here,” Phil sniffed.

Dan guffawed, and Phil elbowed him in the side. They stumbled out onto the pavement amid a tumble of laughter, and when Dan looked up at Phil, he realised that he never, ever wanted to be away from him.

Phil met the gaze with a small smile, apparently reading Dan’s thoughts as he reached out and intertwined their fingers again.

“I don’t really want to go,” Dan confessed lowly.

“I don’t want you to, either,” Phil answered gently, “But you have to. For tonight, at least.”

Dan glanced down at the pavement, morose, but Phil leaned in again and wrapped him up in a hug.

“Don’t worry,” Phil breathed, “I’ll come visit you soon. You can introduce me to your parents, I want to do this properly.”

Dan blinked up at him, already grinning. “Seriously?”

“Yeah! And you’ll have to come up North with me – my mum’s going to go mad, she’ll be wanting to jump on the first train to meet you.”

“For real?”

“Yeah, she’s been dying for me to find my soulmate since my brother got married last year.” Phil grinned at Dan, refusing to release him from his tight hug. “She’ll love you.”

Dan couldn’t help the spread of warmth that rocketed through his chest. Phil had accepted him so whole-heartedly – completely accepted him, flaws and all. Dan had never quite believed he’d find that.

But then Phil was looking over his shoulder, and he released Dan with a small smile playing about his lips.

Dan furrowed his brows, casting a suspicious look at Phil. “What’s going on?”

Phil smirked at him. “You know how you’ve always wanted to meet my band?”

Slowly, Dan nodded.

“Well, I think you’re about to get your wish.”

Dan’s eyes flew wide open. He span on his heel, heart in his mouth again, and sure enough, there were the other three members of the Sunshine Squad striding straight towards him.

Dan seriously struggled not to faint through getting hugged by all of them. He shook their hands, introducing himself with a breathless murmur of his name. As soon as he was released, Phil was back by his side, an arm around his waist.

The lead singer was sending Dan a wide grin. “So you’re the one I was talking to through Phil earlier, huh?”

Dan nodded, still barely containing his excitement.

“Well, I’m glad you finally turned up. Phil was getting all mopey.”

“Matt!” Phil sounded chagrined.

Matt grinned at him. “You can’t deny it.”

“You’re not supposed to just say it like that!”

“Don’t worry,” Dan finally managed to find his voice, leaning into Phil’s side with a small smirk. “I promise not to let him mope again.”

“You’d better not, mate,” Matt snickered.

Phil looked entirely displeased about the whole situation.

After a few more minutes of chatting with the band, in which Dan managed to take a selfie with all of them together that Phil instantly demanded he text to him, Phil gently reminded them all that Dan had a train to catch. The rest of the band respectfully withdrew, leaving Phil to walk Dan down to the platform alone.

It wasn’t until they were standing in front of the train doors that Dan was hit with the sudden desire not to leave Phil’s side.

Following his impulse, Dan flung himself back into Phil’s arms and nuzzled into his shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut. Displaying rather impressive levels of telepathy, Phil held him tight and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. Dan leaned into the touch. He never wanted to step away – Phil gave the best hugs he’d ever experienced, and he smelled _incredible._

But the train whistles were being blown, and the doors were about to be shut, and Phil was reluctantly pulling away with an intense look into Dan’s eyes. “I’ll be visiting,” he promised.

“Soon?”

“As soon as you’ll have me.”

Dan gave a brilliant, although watery, grin. “I’ll text you.”

“You’d better.” Phil jammed his thumbs in his pockets and returned Dan’s grin. “And we’re rehearsing tomorrow – just to warn you.”

“I’ll be listening.”

“I hope so.”

Dan held Phil’s gaze for as long as he could, before the train doors were about to close and he was forced to turn and jump into the closest carriage. He pressed himself against the window as soon as he could, waving furiously at Phil as the train began to pull away. Phil waved back, looking alone and forlorn on the platform, his brilliant grin reserved for Dan and Dan alone.

\---

When Dan finally made it back home, it was well into the night. His mum met him at the station and berated him loudly for just running off like that, before proceeding to question him for every last detail about his soulmate. Dan was, for once, more than happy to comply. He could talk about Phil for hours.

When they made it back home, Dan was sent straight to bed, but he couldn’t sleep. Instead, he curled up under his covers and thought about Phil – the way Phil’s arms felt around him, his warm laugh, his bright smile. Dan flicked on his phone and scrolled through his photos, finding the one with him and the whole of the Sunshine Squad and staring at it.

It wasn’t a dream. Phil Lester really was his soulmate.

And in his head, he could hear the murmuring noises of Phil’s bandmates as they quizzed him all about Dan. It was comforting, and for the first time since he’d turned eighteen, the sounds inside his skull were pleasant and bearable.

Dan went to sleep with a grin at his lips and his phone right by his pillow, safe in the knowledge that he’d found his soulmate at last.


End file.
